Method of making a fishing lure



Apnl 18, 1961 o. FITZ SIMONS 2,979,778

METHOD OF MAKING A FISHING LURE Filed Sept. '27, 1956 MIXING HEATSETABLE PLASTIC COMPOSITION INCLUDING POLYVINYL CHLORIDE AND PLASTICIZER THEREFOR WITH AMOUNT LESS THAN I% BY WEIGHT OF ODORIFEROUS FISH-ATTRACTANT SUBSTANCE. (RHODINYL ACETATE) STEP l PLACING MIXTURE IN MOLD SHAPED TO SIMULATE FISH PREY.

STEP 2 SETTING MIXTURE IN MOLD BY HEAT AT TEMPERATURE IN EXCESS OF 300 F FOR MORE THAN 3 MINUTES IN INERT ATMO- SPERE AND AT PRESSURE GREATER THAN VAPOR PRESSURE OF ATTRACTANT SUB- STANCE AT THE CURING TEMPERATURE.

STEP 3 COOLING IN THE MOLD WHILE IN INERT ATMOSPI-ERE.

STEP 4 INVEN TOR.

OGDEN FITZSIMONS United States Patdt? METHOD OF MAKING A FISHING LURE Ogden FitzSimons, Chester Springs Road, Kimberton, Pa., assignor of seventy-five percent to Drift-A-Lure, Inc., Rochester, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Sept. 27, 1956, Ser. No. 612,564

3 Claims. or. 18-58) This invention relates to a method of making an artificial fishing lure.

It is well known that fish have an acute sense of smell and are responsive to the odor of materials. Substances that are capable of attracting fish by their odor are termed attractants.

A large number of substances have been used in the past for treating fish bait.- Most of these substances are oily or oleaginous by nature, and many are essential oils or tinctures, or aromatic organic compounds such as esters and alcohols. Some typical suitable materials include, for example, oil of patchouli, oil of cumin, tincture of asafetida, tincture of musk, oil of celery, oil of fennel, oil of anise, rhodinol, oil of peppermint, oil of pennyroyal, poultry fat, meat fat, and similar materials. In fact, suet and bacon fat are frequently used as bait.

The liquid materials named above have most frequently been employed to treat the surface of a natural bait;

However, after a short period of immersion, the water removes the attractant from the treated material so that the attractant is no longer effective. Moreover, while an attractant may draw a fish to the bait, if the bait is artificial, a tentative nibble by the fish may discourage it. This is particularly true where the artificial bait is wooden or metallic, and where the'attractant concentration is very low.

An object of the present invention is to provide a method for making an artificial lure having an odor and texture that duplicates, as nearly as possible, the odor and texture or taste of natural bait.

Another object of the invention is to provide a method for making an artificial lure having incorporated therein a fish-attractant material that remains active over a long period of time.

Another object of the invention is to provide a method for making an artificial fishing lure that has incorporated therein an attractant for fish that is progressively released from the surface of the lure over a long period of time.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a method for making an artificial fishing lure having a plastic body in which a fish hook is imbedded and which contains an odoriferous fislrattractant that retains its potency during the useful life of the lure; 1 I

An artificial fishing lure made according'to orieemrelease at the surface thereof over the useful life of the lure. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the plastic body is made of .plasticized polyvinyl chloride,

suitably stabilized, filled, and colored, and containing in substantially uniform distribution therein about 0.l% by weight thereof, or less, of rhodinyl acetate.

To make the preferred embodiment of the invention just described, apolyvinyl chloride plastisol containing I 2,979,778 Patented Apr. '18, 1961 about one part of finely ground resin for each one to three parts of plasticizer is stabilized, filled, and pigmented, and 0.1% or less by weight of the rhodinyl acetate is stirred into the plastisol. The mixtureis then placed in a mold, and is cured at a temperature in the range of about 300 F. to about 400 F. for a few minutes, during which time the plastic is maintained under an inert atmosphere at a pressure well above the vapor pressure of the rhodinyl acetate'at that tempera-j ture. The inert atmosphere prevents oxidation of the rhodinyl acetate, while the use of superatmospheric pressure retards its volatilization. Preferably, the molded body is retained in the mold under the inert atmosphere and/ or at superatmospheric pressure, until both the mold and the molded plastic body have cooled to room temperature. This also retards volatilization.

In the drawing, the figure is a flow diagram illustrating the various steps in the process of making a fishing lure according to one embodiment of this invention.

The invention may be best understood by a detailed description of several embodiments thereof, as follows:

Example 1 A plastisol was formed by mixing together one part weight of rhodinyl acetate was mixed into the plastisol. The mixture was then poured into a suitable mold,

containing a hook in proper position, to form a dragon fly nymph, and was cured in an oven at 350 F. for

fifteen minutes. During the curingperiod, an atmosphere of nitrogen was maintained in the oven at a pressure of r'norethan' 50 p.s.i. After thecure was complete, the, bait body was stripped from the mold. v. I In this example, the hook'was positioned in the mold before the mold was filled with the plastisol mixture, The body of the lure was thus secured around the hook by molding the hook in situ. However, this is an optional technique, and it is possible to mount the molded plastic body on a hook after curing. v The lure proved unusually effective when compared witha similar dragon fiy nymph lure which did not have incorporated therein fany rhodinyl acetate. The added attraction of the artificial bait prepared according to this example 'was not diminished even after a very extended period of immersion in water. At least part of the success of the bait appears to be attributableto the fact that fish are not discouraged by one nibble, but return, in an effort to consume the entire bait. This is probably. attributable to the fact that the texture of the plastic body simulates the taste of the nymph, while the at-' tractant'simulates its odor.

. ,E ple z Another artificial bait was prepared by a process similar to that described in Example 1. One part of finely divided polyvinyl chloride was admixed with two parts of dioctyl phthalate and a small amount of chrome yellow pigment. Somewhat less than 0.1% by weight of the plastisol of rhodinyl acetate was then mixed therein. The mixture was poured in a crane fiy nymph mold and was cured in an oven'at a temperature of 340 F. for ten minutes. During the curing period, an atmosphere of carbon dioxide at atmospheric pressure was maintained in the oven. 7

After the curing was completed, the plastic body was allowed to cool to room temperature in the mold, in the atmosphere, and was then removed from the mold,

govern It was tested for attractiveness to fish, and the attractant was fifi flv'b h hi lure e tivslr attracted fish when, at the same time and in the same location, under the same conditions, a lure not containing the attractant but identical in all otherrespects aroused no, interest. l 4 i i TrThe' foregoing specific examples are illustrative only, and various modifications may be made within the spirit; of the invention from the specific disclosures of the two examples. Thus, other synthetic resinous materials may be substituted for the polyvinyl chloride-acetate copolymer, Exon 654 used in each of the two examples, that; is" commonly referred to as a polyvinyl chloride rcsin. Bolyvinyl chloride plastisols are preferred, however, since, they arev easily obtained and may be handledby conventional techniques, and cure to a desired texture. Poly-, ethylene is an example of another suitable moldingresin.

The plasticizer may. bedioctyl phthalate as in the ex amples, or any other suitable plasticizer, such as, for ex ample, dibutyl phthalate, diethylhexyl adipate, acetyltti butyl citrate, tricresyl phosphate, dioctyl azelate, and the like." Usually; best results areobtained when one to three, parts of the plasticizer are employed for one part of the. resin.

Rhodinyl acetate is the preferred attractant, and itis, etfective in" amounts less than 0.1% of the plastic body by weight, preferably 0.01% to 0,l-%. However, other'attractants may be used, bu t proportions exceeding 1% by weight of the plastic areseldom needed. V Most of thefessential oils, which act asfish attractants can be mixed direetly into the. plastic mixture before cur Then, theplastic after curing will; retain, incqre. poiated therein, the attractant which 'will release its odor ast w lon P of A ar y as. m t fractant is; washed, off" the surface of, the lure, the at;

. ta t sr'at mis tswm t l h u t e p s i material fo'the surface. offthe lure, from which itdiffu ses into the water and attracts the fish. While a wide variety.

of attractant materials areavailable, it is desirable thatthe or other attractant be miscible in theplasticizer. Since a large number of plasticizersareavailable, the selection of -a'plasticizer that is misciblcwith any particular at;v

tractant presents no. problem.

Many ofthe attractant substances are oilswhich areof a volatilmfeasily oxidizable nature, and .so are lost- Whencuredinanordinaryoven. Such losses can, be; limina dsn in izad curing th l i m t r in} ii pressurized atmosphere in whichjthepressure is main:

tained abpve the vapor. pressure of the, attractant at the particular curing temperature being used, Thistcchnigue minimizes theamount of attractant material that is vapor and lost. While his possible .to pressurize theove'ns;

air, it is preferred that an inert atmosphere be used. Carbon dioxide, nitrogen, argon, helium, 'andother inert gases or mixtures of. inert gases may be'employed. The use of these inert gases prevents oxidation. of the at-. tra tant and ad to -1 Safety of h oper n... Be t e. sults are obtained 7 in preservation (of, the attractantv when the cured plastic-bodyispermittedto cool in the 'mold to foom'temperature before the moldand plasticbody are, removed from the inert'or pressurized atmosphere. Conventional curing times and temperatures are used. Thus,

' 4 with polyvinyl chloride plastisols, curing at 300 F. to 99 E59 about three to a o t h r y minut s. is. customary.

The artificial baits prepared according to this invention are most attractive when the plastic is cast or molded into shapes that resemble the natural food for the particular stance is rhodinyl acetate.

game fish in question. Bait shapes resembling the dragon fly nymph, crane fly nymph, pollywog, hellgrammite, stone cat fish, minnow, andthe'like, are particularly effective. The coloration as well as the appearance of the natural fish prey should be copied as closely as possible for best results.

By proper selection of the synthetic plastic, the plasticizer and its proportions, and the attractant, the odor and taste of each natural fish prey named above can be simulated very closely;

While the invention has been described in connection with specific embodiments thereof, then, it will be understood that it is capable of further modification, and this application is intended to cover any variations, uses, or;

weight; of an odoriferousfish-attractant substanceto dis tribute saidsubstance thoroughly throughout the mixture,

' placing said-'mixture-ina mold shapedto simulatea natu,

ral fishprey, and settingsaid mixture in the mold by heat in an inert atmosphereand ata pressuregreaterthan the, vaporrpressureofthe attractant substance at the curing,

temperature to prevent volatilization of the fish-attractant substance during curing, thereby to produce a fishing lure:

having an odor and texture simulating natural fish prey.

2. Themcthod of making a fishing lure as claimed inclaim 1 in which the plastic composition is a polyvinyl cloride pla'stisol, and the odoriferous fish-attractant sub- 3 The methodof'making. a fishing lure as claimed in claim l; Whcrcinthe mixture is set in the mold at a tem-. perature'inexcessof 300:F.'for a setting periodin excess:

of three minutes, and the set plastic body 7 is cooled in the mold while in the inert atmosphere.

ReferencesCited in the file of this patent V UNITED STATES PATENTS 7 1,659,132 Cofiman Feb. 14, 1928 1,922,841 Cooley Aug. 15, 1933 2,129,245 Stenstrom Sept. 6,1938 2,188,396 Semon Jan. 30, 1940' 2,269,037 0ker' J an. 6,1942 2,142,731 Lo velace Apr. 24,1956

1 OTHER REFERENCES Baird: P.V.C; Paste, British Plastics, April 1948, pages.l67171.' 

1. THE METHOD OF MAKING A FISHING LURE WHICH COMPRISES PROVIDING A HEAT-SETTABLE PLASTIC COMPOSITION INCLUDING AT LEAST A SYNTHETIC RESIN AND A PLASTICIZER THEREFOR, MIXING WITH SAID COMPOSITION AN AMOUNT LESS THAN 1% BY WEIGHT OF AN ODORIFEROUS FISH-ATTRACTANT SUBSTANCE TO DISTRIBUTE SAID SUBSTANCE THOROUGHLY THROUGHOUT THE MIXTURE, PLACING SAID MIXTURE IN A MOLD SHAPED TO SIMULATE A NATURAL FISH PREY, AND SETTING SAID MIXTURE IN THE MOLD BY HEAT IN AN INERT ATMOSPHERE AND AT A PRESSURE GREATER THAN THE VAPOR PRESSURE OF THE ATTRACTANT SUBSTANCE AT THE CURING TEMPERATURE TO PREVENT VOLATILIZATION OF THE FISH-ATTRACTANT 